Last Hobbit movie renamed after viewing of final cut

THE final instalment of The Hobbit movie trilogy has been renamed after director Sir Peter Jackson had a look at the final cut.

After initially being touted as There and Back Again, the last movie of the adaption of JRR Tolkien's fantasy will now be called The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, New Zealand-based Jackson announced on his Facebook page.

He had spoken with the movie's backers about possibly changing the title last year.

"We decided to keep an open mind until a cut of the film was ready to look at. We reached that point last week, and after viewing the movie, we all agreed there is now one title that feels completely appropriate."

There and Back Again actually felt like the right name for the second instalment, which has been screened as The Desolation of Smaug, Jackson said.

"There and Back Again felt like the right name for the second of a two film telling of the quest to reclaim Erebor, when Bilbo's arrival there, and departure, were both contained within the second film.

"But with three movies, it suddenly felt misplaced after all, Bilbo has already arrived there in the 'Desolation of Smaug'."

There and Back Again was the original title of Tolkien's 1937 book.

Jackson has managed to extend the story into three full-length movies, which matches the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Jackson said the name could be given to a box-set of all three Hobbit movies.